Feeding mechanism for nailing machines



Sept. 30, 1952 v. CHMELAf-i FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8. 1947 INVQMTOR. mam 1 Qfl VFZA A,

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Arroflme- Sept. 30, 1952 v. CHMELA FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 8, 1947 W .I 1 ww 2 w gm m .EUHHMZAMMWW WINE! Sept. 30, 1952 v, CHMELMQ FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING MACHINES Filed July 8, 1947 I. INVEIYTOR. M4QA v Cf/MfZ/i A,

6 Arrok/vz-r Patented Sept. 30, 1952 FEEDING MECHANISM FOR NAILING MACHINES Vaclav Chmelai', Zlin, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Bata, narodni podnik, Zlin, Czechoslovakia, a corporation of Czechoslovakia Application July 8, 1947, Serial No. 759,608 In Germany October 30, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 19.46 Patent expires October 30, 1963 This invention relates to a device for distributing nails to nailing machines, particularly for the manufacture of footwear, of the kind in which the nails are guided with the tips pointing downwards from a storage container via nail ramps,

to rotatable reversing discs which reverse individual separated nails before passing them to their places of application. I

An object of the invention is to provide'improvements in devices of this kind, particularly in respect of increased reliability in the operation of the elements for distributing and guiding the nails while maintainin simple controllability ofv the number of nailsfed (from zero to amaximum corresponding to the number of guide tubes) and simple adjustment of the individual components when changing over from one sort or size of nails to another.

According to the invention the elements serving for separating and reversing individual nails, usually rotatable discs, are no longer provided with a series of nail pockets running through the centre of each disc as hitherto, but have two parallel nail pockets extending across the entire front surface of the said disc, both said pocket-s being displaced from the axis of rotation of the disc.

A convenient arrangement is to have two nail pockets symmetrically arranged with respect to the axis of rotation of each reversin disc, which pockets come to lie alternatively in front of the pertaining nail ramp and above a distributor. The main advantage of this arrangement is that the reversing disc can be designed much smaller than can one with nail pockets that cross one another since nearly the whole diameter of the reversing disc is then available for receiving the longest nails.

With the reversing discs as hitherto used the diameter of each disc had to be slightly bigger than twice the length of the longest nail because each nail pocket running through the centre of the disc had to receive a nail in one end while discharging the previously received nail at the other end, the receiving and discharging ofthe nails taking place in a single vertical plane. As opposed to that, the eccentric disposition of the nail pockets according to the invention offers the advantage that the receiving of the nails takes place in a plane different from that in which the nails are discharged.

Further, the said novel arrangement of two nail pockets of the reversing disc offers the additional advantage of a very simple adjustability of the width of the nail pockets for various thicknesses of nails, by exchanging inserted pieces containing 6 Claims. (01. 1 e9.1) I

' causes of obstruction.

said pockets, whereas hitherto the entire reversing disc had to be changed for that purpose.

As further developments of the inventive idea, all oi the other nail guide channels, including the nail ramps, are arranged so as to be adjustable in Width in a simple manner, an independent regulation of each reversing disc with respect to the number of nails supplied is madepossible; and the whole device is made safe against damage caused lay-defective or non-fitting nails or other Theioregoing and other features of the invention will be clearly understood'from the following description of one embodiment which is illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings,-whereon:

Fig; 1 is a perspective .view of a nail-distributing station; H v

Fig. 2 represents a corresponding cross section; Fig. 3 represents a partial cross'section similar to the view shown in Fig. 2, buttaken along another parallel plane and showing a-detail of the driver of the distributing slide; I

Fig. 4 represents a further partial cross sectional view similar to the view of Fig. 3, but taken along still another parallel plane and showing a detail of the driver of the storage container;

Fig. 5 is a plan, partly in section, or thefdrive of one of the reversing discs; V

Fig. 6 shows the disposition of a distributor for the nails;

Fig. 7 is a lateral view, partly distributor and the reversing discs;

Fig. 8 represents a cross section on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 8 .-8 of Fig. 7 through the distributor and the shaft of the reversing disc;

Fig. 9 shows on an enlarged scale a detail of the journaling means for the upper'end of the shaft that controls the nail feed mechanism shown in Fig.2;

Fig. 10 shows a detail on an enlarged scale of Of feeding 'ateach operational stroke of the'nailing machine, that is at each .revolutioniof its cam shaft a, predetermined maximum number of nails which for example amounts to four in the in section, of the v In the drawings one working station only is 1 shown for the sake of clarity, but it is to be understood that all the stations are arranged on a common frame I which is carried by a support and at the return stroke of the storage container, which is carried out uniformly, all of the supernumerary nails fall backinto thepartb, whereas the nailstha t remain hanging in the gap 9 are ready to glide out freely at the upward stroke of the next rocking movement and before nails tumbled again from the part can obstruct their 1 path.

Each nail ramp is is formed by two ledges 29 and {I of which'forzexample the ledge is stationary whereas theledge 21 is transversely shift- (not shown) of the nailing machine. O'n pivots 2 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the frame I a storage container 3 for the nails is pivoted for oscillation. The bottom of the container has the shape shown, i. e. the part 4 thereof that is nearer to the pivot 2 is corrugated whereas the part 5 thereof 'isbent downwards with respect to the part 4. In the troughs of the corrugations of the bottom part d 1 there are recesses 6 the number of which correspondstothe number of working stations so that one recess corresponds to one each of the working stations. In each ofthese recesses 6 there are two ledges 1 and 8 of which for example the ledge I is stationary whereas the ledge 3 is transversely shiftable. Between the ledges 1 and 8 there'is a gap!) the width of which can be adjusted by the transverse shifting of the ledge 8. The nails drop into the said gap 9, with their tips pointing downwards and so that they cling by their heads on the ledges. The sloping side walls of the corrugated bottom part 4 assist the fall of the nails into the gap 9. From the storage container 3 the nails emerge past a disc It which has in its circumference a series of recesses H corresponding to various shapes of nail heads. 'These recesses prevent nails with too big a head from leaving the container. The disc 10 is rotatably attached to the front wall of the container 8 and canbe-fixed with any selected recess 'II in the operative position immediately above the aforesaid gap 9 by means of a knurled nut i2.

Rocking movement of the storage container 3 about the pivots 2 is derived from a cam i3 the shapeof which is shown in Fig. 4. This cam is keyed on a cam shaft I 4 and controls the movement of the storage container'through a follower roller I5, a lever l6 pivoted about a pivot i7, and a pull rod 18. During each rotation of the shaft M the storage container accordingly performs one complete to-and-fro rocking movement, the upward stroke however not being effected uniformly due to the shape of the cam disc (3, as was the case with devices of this kind hitherto. At the beginning of the upward stroke there is -an acceleration up to a position in which the gaps 9 approximate the gradient of the nail ramp I9, and from here up to the highest position attained by the container at retardation takes place. In the first phase of the said stroke the nails previously engaged into the gap 9 begin to slide and reach the nail ramp past the disc l0 while the nails heaped up during this first phase in the part 5 still remain at rest. In the subsequent retarded phase of the upward stroke of the storage container 3, nails are tumbled from the part 5 into the corrugated part 4 where by reason of the sloping walls of this part they drop into the gap 9 and hang by their heads. For the most part these nails do not glide out of the storage container because now they have heaped up in the corrugated part 4, which prevents them from gliding freely. However sufficiently numerous nails will have engaged themselves in the gap 9,

able. The stationary ledge 20 of each ramp is attached to a carrier 22 which is rigidly connected 1 with the frame i whereas the adjustable ledge 21 of each ramp is attached to a slide rail 23 which is slidable in'the said stationary carrier 22 by means of a hand dial 24 provided with a scale of nail diameters. Thus, by turning the hand dial 2 5 all of the nail ramps I9 are simultaneously adjusted in width. In a similar way the adjustability of all of the gaps!) in'the storage-container if can, be simultaneously effected. i

At the lower en'd -of each nail ramp 19 there is the reversing disc 25 which 'is 'carried by a shaft 26. One end of this shaft is journalled inatransverse piece 21 (see Figs. 1, 2 and'5) of' the frame I, and its other end passes through 'a sleeve 28 (Figs. 2, 5, 9 and 10) which is rotatably'mounted in a transverse piece 29 of the frame i 'on'jasleeve 28 equipped'with a fian ge 30. The outwardly facing front surface of'the flange'tfi has two recesses 34 diametricallydisposed each-to the other into which a bolt 33 loadedby a 'springt i drops at each half turn of the flange. Theend of the shaft 26 that projects beyond the flange carries a fixed ring 32 into which the said bolt 33 is inserted. This bolt drops with its chamfered'end into the correspondingly shapedrecesses 3,! of the flange in such manner that the bolt turns with the flange Bil-in one direction, but slides off the oblique side flanks of the recesses 31 upon rotation in the opposite direction; it thus acts as a one-way clutch. As aprecaution against rotation in the opposite sense, the shaft 26 with the reversing disc 25 'held fast by a bolt 35 (see Figs. 2 and .5) which isloadedby a spring 36 and which is inserted into a transverse portion 27. and is capable of dropping into chamfered grooves 31 on the front surface of the reversing disc 25 in the'sarne way as the bolt 33 into the recesses 3i of theflange til. The grooves 37 on the reversing disc 25, are diametrically disposed each to the other .so thatthe-bolt 35 can drop intothe'opposite 'g-ro'ove aftereach turning of the disc'25 through The locking of the disc 25 by the bolt 35 prevents rotation of disc 25 and shaft 26 on which the disc is carried.

Rigid on the sleeve -28 is a toothed segment 38 which receives a to-and-fro rotational movement from the rack 39. The rack 39 is shift'ably arranged in the aforesaid transverse pieoe29 and is drawn downward by a spring 39 which is attached to the frame I. Upward movement of the rack 35 is effected by a rail 7'4 which is moved up and down by a lever pivoted at 7. The rocking movements of the lever are controlled with the intermediary of a follower rollerAZ by a cam'disc t3 arranged on the cam shaft 1 8. The rail 74 operates conveniently the racks of all of the individual working stations.

Upon movementofthe rack 39 upwards the sleeve 23 turns in an anti-clockwise direction (viewed from the ri htlhand side in Figs. 2 and 9) but without carryi etherewith the bolt 33; and

during this movement 'the reversing disc 25 is secured against rotation by the boltl35 engaging the notch 3'! (see Fig. 2). Thus, the upward movement of the rack 39 imparts no turning mo- :tion to the shaft ZGand the reversing disc 25 but causes only a pre-tensioning of the spring 40. As the lever 4| returns to its lower position, the rack 39 sinks undertheinfluence of the spring 46 and imparts a rotational movement in a clockwise sense to the sleeve 28. During this rotational I ,movement the .bolt 33 with the ring 32, the shaft 26, and the reversing disc 25 are carried there- "with- It follows that intermittent drive of. the reversing disc '25 is effected only by the pull of the spring 453 in coaction with rack 39 and toothed segment 38, so that if any sort of jamming occurs,

surfacefacing the nail ramp [9 with two exchangeable inserted sleeves or inserts 44 (see par.- ticularly Fig. 8) which are provided with nail pockets 45-. In the embodiment shown two parallel nail pockets 45 are displaced from the axis of. rotation of the reversing disc 25 and run across itsentire front surface. The said inserts are inserted into the respective grooves in thefront disc 25 (see Figure l1)-and are then held by screws 15. The distances of the nail pockets from the axisof rotation of the disc are chosen so that in the state of rest of the disc one nail pocket 45 registers with the nail ramp I9, each nail pocket having such a shape that just a single nail can drop into it where it hangs by its head. When nails of a different size are to be used, the width of the gap 9 in the ramp H; is conveniently adjusted by means of the hand dial 24, and the inserted sleeves 44 which are retained in the body of the reversing disc 24 by means of bolts 15, as shown in Figs. 8 and 11, are replaced by other sleeves 44 having appropriately dimensioned nail pockets 45. This can be done by loosening of the said screws, whereupon the one insertion 44 can be taken out of the respective groove and the other insertion can be then inserted there. order to prevent the nail hanging down by its head from falling out at the subsequent turn of the disc 25, a cover 48 is provided on one side (Fig. which is for example carried by thestationary ledge 20 "ofithe nail ramp. A bolt 41 is passed through the center of the disc parallel to the inserted sleeves 44 (Fig. 7). jects at both sides from the disc and its purpose will be explained hereinafter.

As already mentioned, the reversing disc 25 performs its working movements by turning about 180 each time, so that each nail which has been received from the nail ramp [9 into the corresponding nail pocket 45 with the tip pointing down, comes intoa position with the tip pointing upwards after a half turn of the disc. In this position the nail drops out of the nail pocket 45 into the opening 48 'of a distributing slide 49 therebelow (see particularly Figs. 7 and 8). This slide is controlled by a cam 5| through a follower roller 52 (Fig. 3), a lever'53 *anda rod Blythe a ,latter being slidable in the lower part of. the

working stations, the projectingend of the rod 51 (Fig. 6) operates a transverse bar 58 (Fig. 6)

. which is provided with resilient clamps 59 one for '25 The reversing disc is equipped on its front This bolt proeach of the distributing slides 49. embraces a pin 60 attachednto the pertaining slide. Such resilient clamping has the object of preventing'damage to the driving mechanism in the event of an. obstacle being encountered, for

example. if a nail jams between the reversing disc.

25 and] the distributing slide. This is effected simply by the slide being stopped, the clamping jaws '59 opening and releasing the pin 80.

The aforesaid openings 48 in the distributing slide 49 are covered from below We plate 6i having a corresponding number'of openings 62 of the same diameter and also the same: pitch as thesaid openings 48. The plate 6!, is longer by half the pitch of its openings than the body of the slide 49 itself and is equipped both ends with projections 63. The plate is under the influence of a 7 spring t4 which is attached to the slide (Figs. 2 and?) This spring pressesthe plate constantly towards the right andtends to holdi tin'thepcvsition shown in Fig. 2. .Inthis position the openings 62 of the plate do not register with theopen ings 48 in the slide 49, so that the openings 48 are closed from below and thenails Whichhave fallen into them from above cannot pass. when the, slide 49 reachesits right end position,

the protruding end 63 of the plate 6| hits a ledge at the end of the guide54 so that. the plate Si is stopped while the slide itself is shifted further by another half of the pitch of the holes 62. Then the openings 48 of the slide 49-register with.

the openings 62 of the plate 61,. and "the. nails contained in the former pass throughthe latter i into guide tubes 66 whence they go to a receiver (not shown) and are then brought. in known manner into the nailing mechanism proper.

On one of the side faces of the slide v49 there is a T-guidetl (Figs. 6 and 8) whereon anadjusting body 68 is arranged to slide, this body having 72 maybe maintained in a selectedposition. The body 63 is readily accessible from the outsideand can be adjustedby thecperator by handat will.

The adjustment of body 68 on the slide 49 determines the number of nails that the reversing disc 25 feeds into the openings 48 during one revolution of the'cam shaft i l. The body 58, by reason of its projection 69, obstructs the rotation of the reversing disc 25 as soon as the projection 69 is contacted by one of the linearly projecting ends of the bolt 4'? during the step-by-step feed of the slide 49, as illustrated in Fig. 8. The contact between the projecting end of bolt 41 and the slide 49 constitutes an intervening obstacle or abutment that prevents the reversing disc 25 with its shaft 26 from performing" itsworking cycle,

. and accordingly a nail isv not fed. Under these Each clamp i However;

tion while subject to the tension of spring 40. 'If thebody 68'is now so adjusted that the spring loaded detent 12 engages the extreme right hand recess 18 (Fig. 6), the projection 69 is restrained from contact with bolt 41 so that reversing 'disc 25 is not obstructed and can perform its entire working cycle during each revolution of the'cam shaft [4 until allof the openings 48 have been filled with nails. If, however, the detent 12 engages the extreme left hand recess 10 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 6, the projection 69 is maintained in a position obstructing the turning of reversing disc 25because bolt 41 contacts with projection 69. This same obstruction is maintained in all of the subsequent step-by-step movements of the distributor slide 49 toward the right so that a tensioning of the reversing disc 25 cannot take place at all, and none of the openings 48 are filled with nails. By adjusting the body 68 to a selected intermediate position the number of nails desired to be furnished during each revolution of the cam shaft Hi at any time can be selectively determined.

Thus it will be seen that the number of the nails to be furnished can be selectively determined for each revolution of the cam shaft M by adjustment of the body 68 at one operating position independently of other operating positions. Accordingly, with five operating positions, each including a four-opening distributor slide 43, it is possible to regulate in a very simple manner the number of nails to be furnished within limits of zero to twenty for each revolution of the cam shaft M.

The operation of the described mechanism for each station is as follows:

The storage. container 3 in its downwardly bent part 5, filled with nails, and the cam shaft I4 is set into motion. (At the first filling it is convenient to rock the storage container by hand several times in order that a number of nails be caught in the gap 9.) As the storage container 3 rises the nails slide out of the gap 9 past the disc I0 to the nail ramp iii; the number of nails which pass from the storage container to the nail ramp, or could pass thereto, i always greater than the maximum number of nails that can be consumed by the nailing machine proper so that after a few working strokes of the container the nail ramp I9 is filled with hails from top to bottom. The lowermost nail in the nail ramp IS drops into the associated nail pockets 45, i. e., into the right hand one in Fig. 8 of the reversing disc where it hangs by its head. Then, when the reversing disc 25 performs a half turn in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 8, this nail pocket 45 with the nail therein head-down comes to rest above the distributing slide 49, i. e., into the position of the left-hand pocket $5 on Fig. 8, and the reversed nail drops head first into the corresponding opening 48 of the slide. At the same time the second nail pocket 45 now the right-hand one in Fig. 8 which lies in front of the nail ramp l9, receives another nail. At the next half-turn of the reversing disc 25 the distributing slide. 49 performs a feed movement. towards. the right (Fig. 2) viz. a sliding movement by one pitch of the openings 48 so that at the end of this halfturn of the disc 25 the next separated and reversed nail drops into the next adjacent opening 48 of the distributing slide. 49. This process repeats itself at each rotation of the cam shaft M, i. e. at each working stroke of the entire distributor mechanism, the number of repetitions of this process being equal to the maximum number of nails'which can be delivered by one of the distributor stations at each saidirotation, i. e., four in the described case. i V

Itfollows clearly that the feed movement of the distributing slide 39 does not depend upon whether the reversing 'disc 25'turns, i. e. whether nails'are being furnished or not. Until the distributing slide 49 reaches its extreme right posi-- tion the openings 138 remain closed from below by the plate 6!, and the nails which have been introduced into these openings cannot leave. Theslide 39 upon approaching'it's rig-ht end position the plate E1 is shifted when its projection 63 is arrested by the ledge 65 causing the openings in-the plate to register with the openings in the slide 49 and thus permitting the'nails to drop into the tubes 66. r

The regulation of the number of nails to be delivered during each revolution of the camshaft i4 :is effected, as described hereabove, by adjustingthebodytii. The latter influence only the rotation "of the reversing discs 25 without changing the manner of operation of the distributing slides '39. r

The disposition of the described mechanism for the purpose of allowing the use of 'nails of varying thickness is based on the simpleadjus'tinentof the gaps '9 and the nail ramps 9 and on the exchange of the inserted sleeves 44 in the reversing discs 25. If it is desired to work at the same time with nails of two difierent lengths, it is sufficient for that distributor station or for those stations which are intended to deliver nails of diiferent size, to separate the respective gap or gaps in the storage container 3 from the other gaps by a partition wall which then divides the container 3 into separate spaces each of which can be filled with different nails.

Throughout the claims I have referred to the ramp heretofore described in the specification as a raceway in order to more specifically define the invention. Also, while I have described the association of but a single disc, ramp and distributor slide, it will be understood that my invention is applicable as heretofore explained to a multiple arrangement of these components.

Thus, according to the invention all requirements of a nail distributing device of the kind referred to are fulfilled in the simplest way. To those skilled in the art it will now be evident that according to particular purposes of application various adaptationsof the illustrated embodiment can be made within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1., A, device for distributing nails to a nailing machine, particularly for the manufacture of footwear, comprising a nail storage container, a raceway for guiding the nails with their tips depending downwardly in a linear path from said container, a rotatable nail reversing disc located at the discharge end of said raceway, the disc having two parallel nail-receiving pockets extending across the entire front surface of the disc, both of said pockets being displaced from the axis of rotation of the disc, a nail-receiving distributor located below the disc, a rack and pinion drive means for rotatin said disc, and a'spring for biasing the rack to a retracted position after each cycle of operation of said disc.

2'. A device for distributing nails to a nailing machine, particularly for the manufacture of footwear, comprising a nail storage chamber, a raceway for guiding the nails with their tips depending downwardly from the storage container, a rotatable nail reversing disc at the discharge end of the raceway, said disc having two exchangeable inserts, each insert including nailreceiving pockets extending in spaced parallel paths across the entire face of the disc and displaced from the axis of rotation of said disc for receiving nails in one plane and discharging the nails in a different plane, and wherein each pocket is adapted to receive various sizes of the nails to be distributed.

3. A device for distributing nails to a nailing machine, particularly for the manufacture of footwear, comprising a nail storage chamber, a raceway for guiding the nails with their tips depending downwardly from the storage container, a rotatable nail reversing disc at the discharge end of the raceway, said disc having two exchangeable inserts, each insert including nailreceiving pockets, and wherein each pocket is adapted to receive various sizes of the nails to be distributed, rack and pinion means for imparting increments of 180 rotation to said disc, and means for latching said disc in successive 180 positions.

4. A device for distributing nails to a nailing machine, particularly for the manufacture of footwear, comprising a nail storage chamber, a raceway for guiding the nails with their tips depending downwardly, a rotatable nail reversing disc at the discharge end of the raceway, the disc having nail-receiving pockets displaced from the axis thereof with respect to the axis of rotation of the disc, a distributing slide below the disc with openings therein for individual nails, means for advancing the slide step by step inincrements equal to the pitch of the openings, cam drive means for the distributing slide and interposed resilient members operative to interrupt the movement of the slide automatically upon abutment with an obstacle.

5. A device for distributing nails to a, nailing machine, particularly for the manufacture of footwear, comprising, a nail storage container, a raceway extending from said container, a rotatable nail reversing disc at the discharge end of the raceway, the disc having two parallel nailreceiving pockets extending across the entire front surface of the said disc and displaced from the axis of rotation of the disc, a distributing 10 slide below the disc with openings for individual nails, means for advancing the slide step by step by amounts equal to the pitch of the openings, and an adjusting body for each distributing slide cooperating with the said reversing disc to prevent further turning of the latter when it reaches a predetermined position.

6. A device for distributing nails to a nailing machine, particularly for the manufacture of footwear, comprising a nail storage chamber, a raceway for said container, a rotatable nail reversing disc at the discharge end of the raceway, the disc having two parallel nail-receiving pockets extending across the entire front surface of the disc, said pockets being displaced from the axis of rotation of the disc, 2. distributing slide below the disc with openings therein for individual nails, means for advancing the slide step by step by amounts equal to the pitch of the openings therein, an adjusting body for said distributing slide cooperating with said reversing disc to prevent further turning of the latter when it reaches a predetermined position, a rotatable shaft extending from said rotatable nail reversing disc, a pinion carried by said shaft, a rack engaging said pinion, spring means for maintaining said rack in a predetermined position and means operating against the tension of said spring means for linearly moving said rack for operating said pinion and imparting rotation to said disc.

VACLAV CHMELAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 282,666 Perry Aug. 7, 1883 1,342,415 Benjamin June 8, 1920 1,366,260 Harrison Jan. 18, 1921 1,839,853 Lawson Jan. 5, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number I Country Date 23,356 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1904 19,125/34 Australia Aug. 30, 1935 

